Strange conversations take place from time to time when you’re in a pub. Yesterday happened to be one of those days in which I found myself in an odd conversation about the Christian faith with a young man at the Heorot.
The whole thing started when he walked over to ask me about my laptop (he was impressed with its small size). Then, he noticed my Bible and asked what book I was reading.
He went on to explain that he’s currently reading Matthew and Isaiah at the same time…comparing some of the prophecies with Jesus. So, I was drawn into the conversation.
He then talked about how he had been burned by the church he grew up in…that the pastor basically tried to keep him silent and keep him from asking questions. This isn’t an unfamiliar story, unfortunately. But, he talked about his new church and how he’s really enjoyed being a part of it and spending time with the “elders” (most of whom are younger than me…he goes to one of my good friends church). So, he said, “I grew up in the United Methodist Church.” I was interested…and he said, “Yeah, I went to Center Chapel.”
Of course, that caught my attention. I said, “Hey, that’s the church I work at.” He then said, “Oh…wait, I grew up at Marion Center Chapel, not Muncie.” That actually made me feel better. And, so, the conversation continued.
He then talked about dropping acid to allow God to open his mind and reveal some things to him. Obviously, I was a bit surprised. He said he prayed before, during, and after the trip. He defended his acid trip by quoting the passage where Jesus says, “It’s not what a man puts into his mouth that makes him unclean, but that which comes out is what makes him unclean.” Let me just say, every “Christian” drug user, drunkard, adulterer, etc can quote Scriptures to justify their actions. And, of course, he used the defense of “the Bible says not to judge” bit.
So, how did I respond? I reminded him of the passage where Paul says, “every thing is permissible, but not every thing is beneficial.” I told him that I did not believe that experimenting with drugs was the best way to connect with Jesus. He said, “Yeah, that’s pretty much what everyone tells me.” He said that, right now, he only drinks and smokes. We talked about moderation. We talked about how the more one seeks Christ, the more He will reveal to us.
It might sound weird, but I think the kid might be on the right track. He’s seek Christ. He’s getting involved in the church. He’s studying the Scriptures. It might just be a matter of time and maturing to help him realize that dropping acid really doesn’t fall in line with being a follower of Christ.
So, yeah, I like hanging out in pubs because these kinds of conversations don’t really happen anywhere else.
